{"id":16300,"date":"2016-11-08T05:00:27","date_gmt":"2016-11-08T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=16300"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:33:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:33:56","slug":"senior-smart-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/senior-smart-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Smart Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to the latest smart home technologies, today\u2019s older adults can continue to live independently while staying safe, secure and connected.<\/em><\/p>\n

The hype surrounding smart home technology often focuses on how it a\"shutterstock_275297516\"ffects the millennial generation. But as Sunrise Senior Living points out in a recent blog post<\/a>, in many ways, it is senior citizens who stand to gain the most from today\u2019s smart home innovations. Automation and monitoring provide a customized home environment that promotes safety and security. Even better, a connected home means older adults retain a measure of independence even as they begin to require more care.<\/p>\n

\u201cTech advances are changing seniors\u2019 lives and the lives of their caregivers by allowing them to live more self-sufficiently, whether living on their own\u00a0\u00a0 or in a senior living community,\u201d writes Sunrise Senior Living blogger Hannah West.<\/p>\n

\u201cComfort is as much a priority as safety,\u201d West concludes.<\/p>\n

Alone But Not Lonely<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of a graduate project at the Ume\u00e5 Institute of Design\u2019s Interaction Design in Sweden, designer Kevin Gaunt envisions a smart home designed specifically for older adults. Rather than catering to millennials who \u201ceffortlessly interact with technology,\u201d Gaunt chose to focus on how the elderly could benefit from having a living space configured with the latest apps and devices.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs new technologies arrive, we tend to assume that \u2013 as in the past \u2013 younger generations will be the early adopters,\u201d Gaunt tells Fast Company<\/a>, but he believes older generations are the ones who will really benefit from new, inexpensive smart home technologies.<\/p>\n

In Gaunt\u2019s vision, seniors will live in bot-controlled homes outfitted with sensors. As the bots interact with the home\u2019s inhabitants, a sort of symbiotic relationship develops. The bots can help sseniors stay connected with the outside world through shopping, keeping an eye on the neighbors and reconnecting with their past.<\/p>\n

In a promotional video<\/a> about Gaunt\u2019s concept, an elderly woman asks the bots for help around the house. A little later, in a bout of nostalgic, she triggers the memory bot to request an order of her late husband\u2019s favorite snack. Whether it\u2019s the arrival of an unexpected skateboard or alerts about her nosy neighbor, it\u2019s easy to see how these friendly, interactive bots could help solitary pensioners battle boredom and loneliness.<\/p>\n

\u201cBots is a system for home robot assistant that collaborate to make life alone a little more interesting,\u201d says Gaunt, \u201cnever entirely predictable but always succeeding or failing with the best of intents.<\/p>\n

Programmed Protection <\/strong><\/p>\n

While there\u2019s a certain Orwellian tinge to the idea of a home designed to continuously monitor its inhabitants, in the end safety may trump privacy. After all, home security systems provide protection from burglary and even home invasion. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors keep an eye on deadly threats. Home thermostats can be programmed to keep indoor temperatures at optimal levels to avoid hypothermia or heatstroke.<\/p>\n

Perhaps even more significantly, simple devices like sensor lights and panic buttons provide another level of care by helping seniors safely navigate their homes. In addition, a whole slew of health-related apps can provide instant feedback on a loved one\u2019s physical well-being, from heart rate to sleep habits to medication schedules.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraditionally, families have cared for their senior loved ones by employing staff to look after their needs, by helping them move into care communities or retirement homes, or by caring for them directly,\u201d writes<\/a> retail technology strategist Deborah Weinswig.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew technology, however, has enabled families to participate more directly in administering care to their elderly loved ones and has enabled many seniors to live independently for longer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to the latest smart home technologies, today\u2019s older adults can continue to live independently while staying safe, secure and connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":16333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2952,6],"tags":[9,842,868,1678,76],"class_list":["post-16300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-living","category-technology","tag-consumer-technology","tag-senior-living","tag-seniors","tag-smart-homes","tag-technology-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thanks to the latest smart home technologies, today\u2019s older adults can continue to live independently while staying safe, secure and connected.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Senior Smart Homes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thanks to the latest smart home technologies, today\u2019s older adults can continue to live independently while staying safe, secure and connected.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/senior-smart-homes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Yardi Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-08T13:00:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-22T23:33:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/11\/shutterstock_275297516.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cutright Elizabeth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cutright Elizabeth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/senior-smart-homes\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/senior-smart-homes\/\",\"name\":\"Senior Smart Homes - 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